MIAMI — This time it was unanimous for LeBron James.
Unlike the media vote for 2013 Most Valuable Player, which left him one first-place vote shy of becoming the NBA’s first unanimous MVP, the Heat forward was listed first-team on each of the 119 media ballots when the league released its All-NBA teams Thursday.
It is James’ third first-team All-NBA selection in as many seasons with the Heat, making him the first player in the franchise’s 25 seasons to be selected first-team All-NBA three times.
Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal each had been selected first-team All-NBA twice with the Heat.
Wade this time was named third-team All-NBA. It is the eighth All-NBA nod for Wade in his 10 seasons. He was named first-team All-NBA in 2009 and ‘10, second-team All-NBA in 2005, ‘06 and ‘11 and third-team All-NBA in 2007 and last season.
In all, five Heat players have been selected to an All-NBA team over their careers, with Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning joining James, Wade and O’Neal in that group.
Joining James on the first team are Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Spurs center Tim Duncan, Clippers guard Chris Paul and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.
Pacing the Heat to a league-best and franchise-record 66-16 record, James was the only player in the NBA to lead his team in scoring (26.8), rebounding (8.0) and assists (7.3). He shot career highs from the field (.565) and on 3-pointers (.406).
Additionally, James led the NBA in scoring differential (plus-9.5) and player impact estimate (22.1 percent), according to NBA.com/Stats, in the process becoming the youngest player in NBA history to post eight 2,000-point seasons, and the youngest player to reach 20,000 points.
It was James’ seventh overall first-team selection in his 10-season career, the sixth consecutive time he has been named first-team All-NBA.
Named second-team All-NBA were Spurs guard Tony Parker, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Grizzlies center Marc Gasol.
Joining Wade on third-team All-NBA were Rockets guard James Harden, Pacers forward Paul George, Warriors forward David Lee and Lakers center Dwight Howard.
The All-NBA teams were chosen by a panel of 119 sports writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA first, second and third teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.
The only other Heat player to receive votes was Chris Bosh, who closed with four first-place votes and 59 overall points, which put him fifth among centers behind Duncan, Gasol, Howard and the Nets’ Brook Lopez.
While James led all forwards in the voting, Wade was sixth among guards, but with more than twice the voting points of the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who placed seventh among guards.
